1. Technical Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a table hockey game device having a puck transfer device, by means of which a puck can be brought through a puck insertion opening from puck passages arranged in the area of goal installations on a playing field.
2. Prior Art
Table game devices in the form of table soccer and table hockey game devices are known in various embodiments. They are used in private homes as well as in public places. Over time, the game devices have been developed into more and more technically perfect and therefore more and more expensive objects. Formerly a defined number of balls or pucks was provided after the insertion of a coin, which gradually disappeared after goals had been scored, and the game could be played as long as balls or pucks were available. With newer models the time, during which the table game device can be played by inserting a certain coin, is being limited. The table game device contains only one ball or puck, which is placed on the playing field following the insertion of the coin and which, after each goal has been scored, is returned to the playing field by a ball, or respectively puck, transfer device located in the area of the goal installations, from a ball, or respectively puck, transfer device located in the area of the goal installations, through which the ball or puck leaves the playing field, and is again available for play until the preset game time is up and the ball, or respectively puck transfer device is blocked in some way, after which the ball, or respectively puck, gets back to the playing field only after the insertion of a further coin.
When used in public places in particular, table game devices of this type are subjected to great wear and much damage, part of which is caused by carelessness and part by maliciousness. For example, cigarettes, bits of food, small pieces of wrapping materials and emptied drinks get on the playing field and from there into the puck transfer device. With table hockey game devices in particular it is important that the playing field be clean and undamaged, since the puck does not roll like a ball, but slides. Although a table hockey game device is known, wherein the playing field is covered by a transparent plate, the ball, or respectively puck, transfer device is located in the playing field itself. So that the ball or puck does not escape through the opening in the course of the game, it should be closed every time the ball or puck is supplied, which would require a separate device. This device furthermore has the disadvantage that, because of the separate puck transfer device, the playing field is almost square and does not form a rectangle with a ratio of approximately 1:2 of the sides, such as a real playing field.
It is therefore the object of the invention to create a table hockey game device of the type mentioned at the outset, which avoids the mentioned disadvantages.
In accordance with the invention, in a first embodiment the novel table hockey game device therefore exclusively contains mechanical devices and the entire manipulation is manual. Thus, no electric power connection is required, so that the table hockey game device can be put up at any arbitrary location. This novel table hockey game device is simple and cost-effective to manufacture, rugged and little prone to malfunctions and without problems in maintaining it.
In a second embodiment, the table hockey game device is embodied in accordance with the invention in such a way that the entire path of the puck is closed in itself, wherein the puck transfer device and the puck insertion device are located outside of the playing field and the latter still forms a rectangle with a ratio of the sides which approximately corresponds to the ratio of the sides of regular hockey playing fields.
A third embodiment of the table hockey device of the invention having the characterizing features of both the first and the second embodiment is particularly advantageous.